BHAWA/ BHABA PASS

This trek offers an incredible insight into the remote Spiti and Pin valleys of Himachal Pradesh. From the lush green Kullu valley, enter the starkly beautiful Spiti valley, visiting ancient Gompas and scattered little villages. After crossing the Bhawa Pass (also known as Bhaba Pass), the landscape changes dramatically, with the barren lunarscape of Spiti being replaced by thick forest of pine, cedar and deodar. The trek ends at Shimla, the summer capital of the British Raj.

SEASON: July - September

MAX. ALTITUDE: 5020m

NUMBER OF DAYS: 10 days

HIGH PASSES: Rohtang Pass, Kunzum La and Bhawa Pass

TREK GRADIENT: Challenging

Day 01: The participants arrive in Manali.

Day 02: Manali - Kaza (3900m)
Duration: 8 hours

The drive to Kaza takes one past Rohtang pass (3970m) and Kunzum La (4551m). From Rohtang, the road descends in to the Lahaul valley to Gramphu, from where the road forks towards Kunzum and Kaza. Till Batal, the road continues through the rugged Chandra river valley. On the way, are great panaromic views of the Bara Shigri glacier, one of the biggest in the Himalayas.

Day 03: Acclimatize around Kaza

Soak in a bit of Spitian culture with a visit to Kibber, the highest motorable village in the world and the ancient monastery at Ki. All along, the road winds on the banks of the Spiti river.

Day 04: Kaza - Sagnam via Dhankar
Duration: 7 hours

Todays drive diverts from the main road and climbs steeply to Hikim village before proceeding to Dhankar. The 6th century Dhankar Monastery is a superb example of Spiti's traditional architectural style. This was once a castle of the ruler of Spiti, the Nano and today, is a repository of Buddhist scriptures in the Bhoti script. The drive then goes through Chidaan and Gulling villages before arriving at Sagnam on the left bank of the Pin river.

Day 05: Sagnam - Mud Purkha
Duration: 5 hours

The trek begins on the fourth day with the trail following the Pin river for a while, before a gradual climb up the hillside, along vast meadows. These are the grazing grounds of the local shepherds. The village of Mud lies across the Pin river. The village Gompa is set impressively on a cliff between two streams.

Day 06: Mud Purkha - Base camp (Baldhar)
Duration: 6 hours

The day begins with a gradual climb, followed by a steep ascent on scree slopes, till the base camp set a few hours below the Bhawa Pass.

Day 07: Base Camp (Baldhar)- Kara over Bhawa Pass (5020m)
Duration: 7 hours

The going is rugged for most the day, over moraine, scree, boulder fields and snow fields. As there is no defined trail, the route demands aeration. After crossing the pass, a steep descent leads you to the campsite, which is located on the banks of the Bhawa River. The vast grass pastures attract shepherds from Kinnaur, who bring their flocks of sheep and goats here during spring.

Day 08: Kara - Gulling
Duration: 6 hours

The day's trek starts with a gradual descent down the valley. The trail widens as you reach the junction of two streams. Continue on till you reach the valley floor. From here, a short climb takes you to the camp set in a beautiful glade.

Day 09: Gulling - Kufnu - Sarahan
Duration: 8 hours

Descend through the mixed cedar forest till you reach Kafnu village, where transport awaits you for the drive to Sarahan, which takes 3-4 hours. The Bhimakali temple in Sarahan is a big attraction and one gets magnificent views of the Srikhand peaks from here.

Day 10: Sarahan - Shimla via Rampur
Duration: 8 hours

Rampur is the erstwhile Himalayan kingdom of Rampur Bushehar and offers rare insight into customs, religion, art and architecture of its people. It is one of the biggest commercial towns in Himachal Pradesh and is famous for the Lavi fair held in November. The drive then continues via Narkanda, which offers ski slopes with traintng facilities during the winter months, to Shimla.

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